This is definitely a dark horror mystery thriller with lots of descriptions of gore and violence. Not for the faint of heart. I had nightmares and didn’t want my daughter to leave my side for a while after. The story idea is super cool and interesting and the cruise ship setting makes everything so much more thrilling. However, the plot’s execution fell a little short for me. The MFC made some insane decisions that seemed out of character and it was very easy to guess who the killer was. Also, the belly flop contest?? Were the IJ on this cruise?! It was a super quick read and thrilling. Just beware for gore! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

Wyatt Butler's trial turned Maria Fontana's life upside down. She served on the jury that did not convict him of the heinous murder of multiple children. She's been harassed, she's had to step down from her position at Columbia University, and she's even had problems in her relationship with her fiance. Now, though, she's on a cruise with him and their young twins. Sounds good, doesn't it. Well, no, not when the murders start. Know that this is quite graphic in spots, You'll know who the murderer is but not where. No spoilers but think of this one as a fast paced plot driven novel, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a page turner.

I love when I have a story all figured out and I am wrong! This book took so many unpredictable twists and turns I couldn’t stop reading it. This book is a must read and I hope the authors write more to follow.

Thank you to Netgalley for letting letting read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Stowaway follows Maria, a mom of two who was on a jury to decide whether or not a man was guilty of being a child serial killer. The man is found not guilty and released, and Maria is harassed after she makes a statement saying she was the deciding voter who voted not guilty. Almost two years after, she and her kids and her fiance decide to go on a cruise. Once the ship has departed, people start dying. Maria believes this is the work of the man who was on trial and decides to prove it.

I really liked this book. Be aware, there are descriptions of dead children and murder as well as desecration. The deaths were pretty gruesome as were the findings of the bodies. If you like serial killer, crime, mystery or thriller books, pick this one up and read it. It's on the shorter end and the chapters are short as well. I enjoyed it and I am looking forward to reading more by these authors.

This book starts a little slow, but hang in there. Action packed second half. I had a feeling who the guilty party was, but the author gave it a great try to try and sway my opinion.

Thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC.

Two years ago Psychology Professor, Maria Fontana sat on the jury of a serial killer. One person on that jury voted not guilty and Wyatt Butler walked free. Maria was that deciding vote. On a sabbatical from her position at Columbia, Maria and her family are on a transatlantic cruise. A much needed vacation to get away from all the negative press. As the ship heads towards Europe strikingly similar deaths occur. Was Maria wrong? Is it possible that Butler is on the ship or is this the work of a copycat? A fast paced book, but the characters fell a bit flat and the depictions of the murders of children were quite unsettling.

I can’t imagine a scenario much more frightening than being trapped at sea with a serial killer on board. It seems as if a “ghost” is on the ship that isn’t seen on cameras and is likely not listed on the manifest. Who is he and how did he get on board?

One passenger, Maria, believes she knows who he is and she also served on the jury that let him off some other murders just two years ago. With a background in psychology, Maria teams up with the ship’s security officers to help find the killer before he takes more victims.

I really liked this thriller. It moved at a good clip and gave me a few characters to consider as possible suspects. For sensitive readers, it could be a bit morbid, seeing as how there is a decapitation involved. I have a sneaking suspicion that there may be a sequel in the mix, so I’ll just get in line for that one right now.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

This was an entertaining read! It reminded me of reading a Mary Higgins Clark book. There is a fascinating, although gruesome back story which pulls you right in. The chapters are short with many a cliffhanger pulling you onto the next one. The majority of the book takes place on a cruise ship which greatly ups the ante and there are plenty of red herring swimming out there in that ocean. The book is more plot than character-driven. I could see this being made into a Lifetime Movie and sometimes that is exactly what you are in the mood for.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be next week Tuesday -- September 21st.

A hold-your-breath thriller that keeps the reader guessing with all its twists and turns in the plot. The characters are well developed, the writing is good, and the plot is full of horror, murder and shocks. I was SO sure I knew who the killer was early on. Nope. The authors got me with their clever red herrings.

And now I wait for the next book in this series!!

I was looking forward to this book when I saw that it was a locked room thriller set on a cruise ship. Sad to say, that for me, it failed my expectations. From a formula writing style to flat characters I really didn't connect with and the added serial killer gore done to children, I had to set it aside after trying to get at least a third of the way through it. That's on me. This book was too far out of my reading comfort zone. If your reading preference leans towards formula serial killer books with children as victims this may just be the kind of puzzle you would enjoy. It was too dark for me.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martins and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Be careful when you start reading The Stowaway (James Murray and Darren Wearmouth). Make sure you have plenty of time to devote to this story. I read this in just a couple of hours. I found it impossible to put down, starting from the first page. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy to review.

Two years ago, Maria Fontana sat on the jury for the accused serial killer Wyatt Butler. The jury ended up having to set him free because they couldn't unanimously decide to convict. Maria was crucified by society after she gave a press conference admitting she was the lone not-guilty vote, and after a video goes viral , her job as the head of the Psychology Department at Columbia University is put in jeopardy. She is forced into a year-long sabbatical until it all blows over. Towards the end of her sabbatical, Maria, her fiance Steve and her young twins go on a two week transatlantic cruise. It all starts peacefully enough, but then a body is discovered in a vacant room. Then a passenger goes missing and a little girl's dress is left where he was last seen... which was Wyatt's signature. Maria recognizes the pattern and alerts the ship's security. As they race against time they have to decide: it a copycat? Or are they trapped on board with the bloodthirsty maniac she chose to set free?
This was so good. It was non-stop action from start to finish. It was the perfect combination of nail-biting thriller and horror story. If you are in the mood for something to get your pulse racing and make you sit on the edge of your seat, then this is your book. I highly recommend it!

A couple of years have past since Maria Fontana's jury vote made alleged killer, Wyatt Butler, a free man. After taking a year long break from her work at Columbia University, Maria goes on a two week transatlantic cruise with her children and Fiancé, Steve. But their trip is anything but fun. Suddenly, people are murdered in a similar way as Wyatt Butler killed his victims and the ship goes into lockdown. She wonders if it could be Butler himself or a copycat. Maria is now faced to wonder if she made the right decision on the jury years ago.

Overall, this was an entertaining read. It was fast paced but was a bit too much for me with the gory details. The murdering of children didn't sit well with me either. I loved the premise of the book and will try another book by these authors in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Maria Fontana was on the jury for a brutal serial killer, Wyatt Butler, but he was acquitted because one jury voted “not guilty.” She was outed as the lone juror and became the victim of public scrutiny. Two years later, she and her family decide to go on a transatlantic cruise to put the troubles of the trial behind her but when passengers start showing up dead she knows there’s only one man who could be responsible.

This book was honestly terrifying to read and I definitely shouldn’t have read it before bed. It is very graphic when describing the murders which I was definitely not prepared for and let this serve as a warning to anybody considering reading this. It was a little bit of a slow start but once the family was on the boat, things were rolling along quickly. And the ending set up perfectly for a sequel so I’ll be interested to see what comes of that.

The Stowaway by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth is an incredibly fast paced thriller from start to finish. The begins with a jury trial but then jumps ahead in time for the rest of the story aboard a cruise ship. This is one thriller in which the killer is known from the start so it’s not a mystery to the identity but just how far he will go. I’d also add a trigger warning with this as some of it is incredibly graphic and not at all for the squeamish which includes violence against children.

Maria Fontana was one of the unlucky few that were chosen to serve on the jury for accused serial killer, Wyatt Butler. In the court of public opinion Wyatt Butler was guilty so when the verdict came in and someone voted to set him free the jurors were not very popular people. When the threats continued to come in and someone actually tracked Maria down and confronted her she made a public appearance asking the public to back down.

After everything that happened due to the trial Maria’s job as a professor became in question with the public up in arms over the innocent vote. Maria’s boss thought the best thing was for Maria to take a leave of absence and let things cool down. After two years of staying out of anyone’s sight or minds Maria thinks it’s about time she got back out there and continued her life so she agreed to a cruise with her family. Right after boarding the ship though things begin to happen that leads Maria to believe Wyatt Butler has followed her to sea.

First, let me take a step back when I said the killer was known in this one, I don’t want to make it sound like there is no guessing or mystery at all because as much as you know who was on trial his whereabouts on the ship is still a mystery. And let me add that as much as I read and guess outcomes I was wrong on my first guess so that added to my enjoyment. I will say though that I am a fan of cruising and for the most part I think the author kept that aspect as realistic as it could be to progress the story but I don’t think everything happening actually could happen on a ship. Overall though the suspense in this one was definitely there and it was one that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happen.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

After Maria serves on the jury during the trial of a serial killer, she finds it impossible to return to her normal life. Hounded by the press and public alike, she makes a decision that will have deadly consequences.

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were relatable if not deeply developed and the plotline was engaging. Nothing too surprising here but the journey to get to the end had me turning the pages. I was especially intrigued by the killer and what motivated them.

This had a great pace to it with action and drama keeping me on the edge of my seat. I was pleasantly surprised at the non-cliffhanger ending that could be followed up with more of this heroine.

Somewhere between a 2.5 and 3 star: This is a quick. effective serial killer thriller that has the extra pizzazz of the cruise ship setting. I could not get into the characters and i think they could have been developed a lot more. I do have to say that it was fast moving and held my interest. It was like a roller coaster i didnt want to get off.

If you love thriller that grabs you from the beginning then you'll love this book. The clever twists and turns leave you guessing. You will be cheering for Maria, the main character, but wondering at the same time.... Read this fast paced thrill ride that has your stomach in knots!

TW: violence against children

Maria Fontana has twin children, a new boyfriend and is head of the Psychology Department at Columbia University. Things are going well until she is outed as the one juror who voted not guilty in the trial of accused serial killer, Wyatt Butler. It was a hard decision for her but she felt she made the right choice as all the evidence was circumstantial. Now she is being ostracized and has made to go on leave from her job. That is when the family decide to go on a cruise to enjoy some time together. Once on board though children go missing and are found dead in the same manner suppose killer Wyatt Butler killed his victims. Could Wyatt Butler be on board or is there a copycat? Maria must work with the security of board to find out the truth or else her children might be next.

If you are sensitive to violence against children there will be parts of this book that are hard to read. This is a really great book though and very entertaining. The suspense in this book was palpable and I found my heart racing more than a few times.

A digital copy of this book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of a serial killer that escaped justice and found his way onto a cruise ship. He starts to pick off his victims in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. One of the jurors from his trial knows who he is, but trying to convince the ship authorities is proving to be difficult. I enjoyed this story and it was a fast read but, I was a little confused. A hung jury results in a mistrial and the accused should have been re-tried, not set free. If you can get past that part, then this book is fast paced from the media attention one juror received after the trial to her resolve in bringing the killer to justice.